Existing inventory systems, such as those in mail-order warehouses, supply chain distribution centers, airport luggage systems, and custom-order manufacturing facilities, etc., can encounter challenges in responding to requests for inventory items. As inventory systems grow, the challenges of completing a number of packing, storing, and other inventory-related tasks becomes increasingly difficult. In inventory systems tasked with responding to large numbers of diverse inventory requests, inefficient utilization of system resources, including space, equipment, and manpower, can result in lower throughput, longer response times, an increasing backlog of unfinished tasks, and overall lower system performance. Additionally, expanding or reducing the size or capabilities of many inventory systems may require non-trivial modifications to existing infrastructure and equipment. Consequently, the cost of incremental changes to capacity or functionality may be prohibitively expensive and, thus, limit the ability of the system to accommodate changes in system throughput.